army under Bacchides and Alcimus again attacked Judas, who was deserted by all but eight hundred of his troops. This little band rushed undaunted upon their foes, and by their onset made their ranks for a time to waver; but the numbers against whom Judas fought were too overpowering for human valour, and he and his band died fighting upon the field.

His brother Jonathan was chosen to supply his place; and with all whom he could induce to follow his standard, retreated to the desert of Thecua, whence he harassed the Syrians with incessant attacks. Success crowned his arms, and finally he compelled Bacchides to treat for peace. His friendship was even sought by the contending parties, who now began to divide the people of Syria, and for some time he maintained his country in prosperity and independent peace. During the struggles which followed for the Syrian throne, Jonathan was at last entrapped by Tryphon, an officer of great power, and who aimed at the royal dignity. Invited to visit Tryphon at Ptolemais, he was seized; and though he himself was spared, all his followers were put to death by the traitor.

Simon, the only remaining son of Mathathias, instantly roused the Jews to release their high priest and leader from captivity. He marched against Tryphon, who betook himself again to treachery, and offered to set Jonathan free, if a large ransom were paid for him, and his two sons sent as hostages for his future conduct. The moment the money and the young men were in Tryphon's hands he murdered both Jonathan and his sons, and marched back into Syria. Simon buried his

slaughtered brother with the highest honours, and assumed the leadership and priesthood of the Jewish people. After a long life he was murdered by his sonin-law Ptolemy. His son John Hyrcanus succeeded him both as ruler and high priest; and he, again, was followed by his son Aristobolus, who assumed the title of king. A series of Jewish sovereigns succeeded to Aristobolus, until Herod was made king of Judea, now a Roman province, by the Roman emperor. Then the

sceptre, as had been foretold by the patriarch Jacob upon his dying bed, departed from Juda, and the Redeemer of the world was born.

Long before that time the prophets had ceased in the land. Habaccuc, Aggeus, and Zacharias had prophesied during the seventy years' captivity, and the two latter had encouraged the people during the rebuilding of the temple. Malachias was the last of the prophets. He prophesied after the temple was rebuilt; and the last words of his prophecy are a prediction of the coming of John Baptist, whose preaching, in order to prepare the way of our Lord Jesus Christ, he foretels under the name of the prophet Elias. He foretold also the institution of the sacrifice of the Mass, and its ultimate celebration throughout every heathen nation of the world: "From the rising of the sun," said the prophet, even to the going down, My name shall be great among the Gentiles, and in every place there shall be sacrifice, and a clean oblation offered to My name; for My name shall be great among the Gentiles, saith the Lord of Hosts."

BOOK VI.

THE LIFE AND DEATH OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST.

CHAP. I. The Annunciation.

ABOUT four thousand years after the creation and fall of man, it pleased Almighty God to fulfil His promise to Adam, that from his seed should be born a Saviour to redeem the world. In Nazareth, a city of Galilee, dwelt a virgin, descended in a direct line from David and Abraham, named Mary. From the first moment of her existence the Holy Spirit of God had been with her, and she was prepared by His divine power to be the sinless mother of the Redeemer. Her parents had betrothed her in marriage to a devout kinsman, Joseph by name; but she lived and died a spotless virgin, protected and cherished as a sister by her husband until his death.

When the day decreed in the counsels of God was come, the angel Gabriel was sent to Mary to announce to her that she was to be the mother of the Son of God. Hail, thou that art full of grace! said the angel to her, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou amongst women. And Mary was troubled at his saying, and thought within herself what the meaning of this salutation might be. And the angel said: Fear not, Mary; for thou hast found grace with God: behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and shalt bring forth a Son; and thou shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the most High: and the Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of David His father: and He shall reign in the house of Jacob for ever, and of His kingdom there shall be no end.

And she said to the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not man? And the angel said to her: The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the most High shall overshadow thee; and therefore the Holy One which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. And behold, thy cousin Elizabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her that is called barren: because no word shall be impossible with God. And Mary said: Behold the handmaid of the Lord: be it done to me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her. And Mary went in haste into the hill country, to the house of Elizabeth her cousin.

Elizabeth herself was about to be the mother of the forerunner of the coming Saviour, by a miraculous exertion of the power of God. She was of the tribe of Levi, and family of Aaron, and, with her husband Zachary, had grown old without bearing children. And they were both just before God, keeping His commandments in a blameless life. Five months before the angel had appeared to Mary, it came to pass that Zachary was offering incense in his priestly office in the temple, and the multitude of the people were praying without, when there appeared to him an angel of the Lord, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And Zachary seeing him, was troubled; and fear fell upon him but the angel said to him: Fear not, Zachary, for thy prayer is heard: and thy wife Elizabeth shall bear thee a son; and thou shalt call his name John; and thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth: for he shall be great before the Lord; and shall drink no wine nor strong drink: and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost even from his mother's womb and he shall convert many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God: and he shall go before Him in the spirit and power of Elias; that he may turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the incredulous to the wisdom of the just, to prepare for the Lord a perfect people. And Zachary said to the angel: Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in

years. And the angel answering, said to him: I am Gabriel who stand before God; and am sent to speak to thee, and to bring thee these good tidings. And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and shalt not be able to speak until the day wherein these things shall come to pass; because thou hast not believed my words, which shall be fulfilled in their time. And the people were waiting for Zachary: and they wondered that he stayed so long in the temple. And when he came out, he could not speak to them: and they understood that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he made signs to them, and remained dumb. And as the angel had foretold, so it was fulfilled.

CHAP. II. The Salutation. The Birth of John Baptist.

WHEN Mary reached the house of Elizabeth, a miracle declared the honour to which the Lord had exalted her, and proclaimed her the mother of God. As she entered into the house, and saluted Elizabeth, the unborn babe in Elizabeth's womb leaped for joy at the sound of Mary's voice. And Elizabeth herself was filled with the Holy Ghost, and she cried out with a loud voice, and said: Blessed art thou among women; and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed art thou that hast believed; because those things shall be accomplished that were spoken to thee by the Lord. And Mary said: My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour: because he hath regarded the humility of his handmaid for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. For He that is mighty hath done great things to me: and holy is His name. And His mercy is from generation to generations, to them that fear Him. He hath shewed might in His arm: He hath scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart. He